The US military has carried out another strike on a boat suspected of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men. This latest attack marks the fourth such deadly incident within a week, bringing the total death toll to 205.
Details of the Strike
US Southern Command announced the strike, using its standard language that the vessel was 'engaged in a narco-trafficking operation' and was associated with a designated terrorist organization. No evidence was provided for this allegation. Video released by the military on social media showed a small vessel floating on the ocean before it was hit and engulfed in a fireball.
Broader Campaign
This attack is the latest in a month-long campaign against alleged drug boats traversing the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific. The Trump administration has declared that the US is at armed conflict with Latin American drug cartels, claiming they are responsible for the flow of drugs into American communities. US Southern Command stated that the strike was carried out at the direction of General Francis L Donovan, the top US commander in Latin America.
Previous Incidents and Legal Concerns
In September, a strike against a Venezuelan gang in the Caribbean left 11 people dead in international waters, prompting questions about the legality of such actions. That operation targeted alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, a designated foreign terrorist organization in the US. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has called these strikes 'extrajudicial killing'.
The Trump administration's deployment of the military to the Caribbean last year marked a drastic shift from the normal approach to intercepting drug trafficking boats. Previously, the Coast Guard and law enforcement would work together to intercept, board, and seize illegal items. The current method, as described by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in September, appears to be 'blow them up, get rid of them'.
